Sending a Message to Car Thieves

April 14, 2008

Every three minutes, a car is stolen in Canada.

This astonishing rate of car theft costs Canadians $1.2 billion per year. Perpetrated by gangs, mobsters, petty crooks and joyriding hoodlums, this crime is expensive and dangerous. Incidents have skyrocketed in recent years due, in large part, to outdated legal protections.

Every Canadian pays the price of car theft, whether through car repairs, insurance premiums, pressure on the health care system or the real risk to public safety.

Over their 13 years in government, the Liberal Party failed to take car theft seriously. As they did with other serious crimes, the Liberals turned a blind eye rather than tackle the problem with real action.

Canadian families deserve better. Car thieves must be sent a message that their free ride is over. That is why the Conservative Government is taking real action to protect all Canadian families from the human and monetary costs of this dangerous crime.

The Conservative Government is not only cracking down on car theft, we are introducing concrete measures to protect hard-working and law-abiding Canadian families from all thugs and criminals. Today there are tough new laws on the books that will properly punish gun-toting criminals, impaired drivers, and sexual predators. We are also tackling the problem of drug pushers and identity thieves, and overhauling Canada’s outdated youth justice laws.

Instead of facing the serious issues in Canada, Stéphane Dion and the Liberals chase headlines and manufacture fake moral outrage. In contrast, the Conservative Government will continue to take real action to protect innocent families from harm.

*Statistics obtained from the Insurance Bureau of Canada.